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Hi to all...Since I purchased my new piano about a year ago I have been concerned about the sound quality of a single note. It sounds dead compared to all others on the keyboard. I have been told by the dealer that all pianos have trouble spots. Before the one year warranty expires what should I demand/request? Thanks

pianoloverus
Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
Registered: 05/29/01
Posts: 20371
Loc: New York City

Has the dealer tried to solve the problem at all or are they claiming it's not a warranty problem or that it's just an acceptable variation in sound? What does the dealer's service warranty include?

What do you mean by "dead"? Very low volume? Very little sustain? Does it sound like the E two octaves higher in terms of volume or sustain?

If the piano was bought new it has a warranty in addition to the one year warranty you mentioned. Whether it will cover this problem is unclear and might depend on how dead it sounds compared to the other notes. If you think the note is clearly very dead compared to the surrounding notes then I think it should be covered but that's just an opinion.

It seems like a reasonable dealer should try to solve this problem especially because it may be very simple and just as a matter of good will. Why some dealers are so unhelpful is beyond me. How can it possibly be worth the negative publicity even if you only just told a few friends?

I see no reason why you should be "on your own" here unless most others would say the note is not significantly dead compared to the other nearby notes.

Has anyone looked at the problem and offered or tried possible solutions?

Having the service contract, explain to the dealer that the note needs to be voiced to fit in with the tone of the piano. Request the services of a piano technician.

At about a year, now is the perfect time to have the action checked/regulated and make sure that the entire voicing of the piano is even. These should be covered in your service contract. Also check to see if tuning is included in your contract.

Being an estonia the surrounding notes sound rich and warm... this one sounds this and dull with little sustain... Dealer seems to be claiming that it is an acceptable variation in sound. He also seems to imply that it is in my imagination.

Being an estonia the surrounding notes sound rich and warm... this one sounds this and dull with little sustain... Dealer seems to be claiming that it is an acceptable variation in sound. He also seems to imply that it is in my imagination.

Could you record your piano, playing a few notes on either side of the problem note? It would give us a clear idea of how much of a problem you are dealing with. Will also give you some moral support that you are not imagining things. I am sure you are right about this, and it must be infuriating that your dealer would brush it off as imagination (especially if he hasn't personally come to hear it in your home).

Thanks for all the replies. I will try to get a recording done soon for more input. Yes, the dealer has been to my home but does not seem to agree that there is a problem. The note is E in the melody section... E5. The room is about 12x24 but the rest of the piano sounds fine to me. It is a harsh sounding note with quick decay. Being more familiar with guitars I compare it to a guitar string that is not setting in the bridge completely and therefore mutes pretty quickly and sounds lifeless.Thanks again

Since your room is in the proportion of 2:1, it is possible that it has to do with room mode problems. There is a spot in my room where my D2 is completely dead. It happens to be where the treble sounds the best, but I had to move the piano to bring back the D2 and compromise on a treble that doesn't ring as well. Rooms with dimension ratios of 1:1 or 2:1 are always most challenging acoustically, yet those, of course are the most common proportions chosen by builders.

It doesn't hurt to move your piano a few inches whichever direction and see if it changes that E5. If you have 8 foot ceiling, a room mode calculator seem to suggest you do have a problem near that frequency (660 Hz). If you get some changes for your E5 when you move the piano, you know it is related to room mode.

There is no reason why E5 would sound dead when F5 and D#5 sound fine. Forget the room idea, there is a mechanical issue with your piano. I would be recording it, posting it up for us here, get the backup for your claim. ie. Dozens of people have heard it and they all agree. Then push it for all it's worth. Can you possibly pursue this from a manufacturers warranty angle, rather than just through the dealer? Or tell the dealer you want to go that route - that way your dealer might think he doesn't have to pay for the technician to fix it.

It's basically a long shot with frequencies higher than 300 Hz. Room modes generally do not affect a piano up in the 4th and 5th octave. That's why I asked you if it was a bass note at first. No need to move anything as you had already tried it. Back to square one, the piano, rather than the room.

Hi Withindale...Interesting... the note seems to ring as well as it's surrounding neighbors when i use a plectrum... Would that suggest a simple voicing issue or could there still be other factors involved.Thanks again

I would PRESS the dealer HARD to get it fixed right away. Or, tell him you are hiring your own technician to look at it and you will present him with your technicians bill if he doesn't take care of the problem immediately. (After you pay the technician yourself of course...) That might get the ball rolling better on his end.

Hi Withindale...Interesting... the note seems to ring as well as it's surrounding neighbors when i use a plectrum... Would that suggest a simple voicing issue or could there still be other factors involved.Thanks again

Get it seen to yourself--- by a tech who is well-qualified to handle voicing (easy to say; not always so easy to find). Hash out the bill reimbursement with the seller afterward. A letter to the manufacturer might help put a squeeze on that foot-dragging dealer, especially if it comes to the nuisance of a small-claims-court action.

But meanwhile, you will be better-off having your piano fixed... and come to think of it, it is also 'evidence,' undercutting the seller's claim that, "Aw, shucks, Your Honor, that was nothing."